


Remembering Light

by Luthorchickv2



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Jewish Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Reform Judism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 10:18:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16742146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthorchickv2/pseuds/Luthorchickv2
Summary: Derek finds the box labeled “Hanukkah” when Stiles moves in with him. He and Stiles are unpacking the dozen or so cardboard boxes they had ferried over from the Sheriff’s house and at the bottom of a large box labeled “Misc” is the smaller box labeled “Hanukkah”.





	Remembering Light

**Author's Note:**

> This was in response to sterek8nights' prompts on Tumblr. I have no idea where this came from, only that it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Unbeta'ed.
> 
> It's possible that this might lead to more Jewish Stiles fics. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are awesome!
> 
> Happy Hannukah!

Derek finds the box labeled “Hanukkah” when Stiles moves in with him. He and Stiles are unpacking the dozen or so cardboard boxes they had ferried over from the Sheriff’s house and at the bottom of a large box labeled “Misc” is the smaller box labeled “Hanukkah”. 

Derek is a little confused by this. Derek and Stiles have been together for 5 years, and Stiles and the Sheriff have always celebrated Christmas. Granted, it wasn’t a big tree and their celebration tended toward low key but they did it.

“Mom was Jewish.” Stiles said from behind him. Derek jerked guiltily and turned around to face Stiles, who was smiling softly. 

“When she died, it was too hard for us to celebrate. I had only just started after school hebrew school when she got sick and after she died, well it got lost in the shuffle. I didn’t know Dad snuck this in. Sneaky.”

Stiles lifted the box out and opened it. Inside was a beautiful silver menorah with silver leaves and pomegranates. Under it were a couple wooden dreidels, two porcelain cups and a couple silver candlesticks. 

“Was she observant?” Derek asked, looking down at the cups. One read “I am my beloved’s” and the other read “And my beloved is mine”. There was something beautiful about that. 

“She was reform. We didn’t keep kosher but she lit the shabbat candles every week and went to shul on the high holidays. One of my first memories is Dad holding me up as she lit the candles and recited the blessings.” 

Stiles smiled sadly and closed the box again. 

Derek reached out and held his hand. “I don’t mind if you want to?”

Stiles laughed. “I wouldn’t know where to begin. Its fine. I remember her here” He tapped his heart and then tapped his head “and here.”

The box was relegated to the upper hallway closet until 6 months later. Derek was walking down an aisle in the grocery store when he spied a display for Hanukkah. There were candles and latke mixes and jelly doughnuts and an idea started to grow. 

“First Hanukkah?” A voice said. Derek turned to see an older woman pushing a very full cart. 

He gestured to the aisle. “My boyfriend’s mother was Jewish but she died when he was young. I saw the display and thought maybe I’d surprise him?” 

She smiled. “You are very sweet. Would you like help?”

Derek smiled back, grateful she didn’t seem to be disgusted that he said boyfriend. “Yeah, I don’t know where to begin.”

She held out her hand. “I’m Hannah.”

Derek shook it. “Derek.”

She nodded and grinned. “Okay, let’s start with candles.”  
********  
A week later Stiles walked into their house to a delicious smell. “Hey, hun! What’s that great smell?” He dropped his bag in the hallway, made his way to the kitchen and stopped in surprise. 

The counter was covered in flour and oil. A plate of jelly donuts sat where the mail normally went, and the Hanukkah box was sitting on their table. 

Derek was standing over the stove flipping latkes like a pro wearing an apron that said kiss the cook. 

“What’s all this?” Stiles managed around the lump in his throat. 

“Uh, surprise?” Derek said, sheepishly after turning off the stove and removing the smoking pan. 

Stiles trailed a hand over a box of thin, blue and white candles.

“You said you wouldn’t know where to begin. I wanted to surprise you? A woman named Hannah helped me. I have candles, latkes, gelt and she sent me a youtube playlist with the prayers and a link to the story of Hanukkah. Also apparently people have very firm ideas about sour cream or apples as a side for latkes, so I grabbed both. Was this a mistake? I can get rid of it?” Derek looked strangely uncertain. 

Stiles felt tears gathering at the corners of his eyes as he shook his head. “It’s perfect.” He whispered and went to wrap his arms around Derek.

“Thank you.” The stood there for a moment before Derek said gently. “Why don’t you unpack the menorah so we can light the candles?”

Stiles nodded and brushed the tears off his face. “Yeah.”

Before long they had the table set and they were ready. There were piles of fluffy latkes, dishes of applesauce and sour cream, stacks of gelt next to the dreidels and jelly doughnuts.

Derek turned down the kitchen lights and Stiles grabbed the center candle lit it and pressed play on the youtube blessings list. For a second he felt his mother’s hands around his and heard her voice in his ear.He found the words to the blessings familiar and was able to say in unison. “Baruch atah...”


End file.
